Amazing opportunities await newly qualified ophthalmologists
College President Ben Burton last week presented diplomas to more than 150 new Fellows at this year’s Admissions Ceremony.
News & Views
Read the latest RCOphth news updates and guidance here.
Applications are invited for the new Chandra Award
Girish Chandra came from modest beginnings in India to further his ophthalmic career in the UK in the 1960’s. He subsequently worked in numerous countries in North America and Asia. He recognises that the chance to train in the UK is a valuable and cherished opportunity, and he hopes that this award will facilitate this for future ophthalmologists.
RCOphth evidence to COVID inquiry calls for better planning, coordination and consultation in future public health emergencies
We have provided evidence to the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges (AoMRC), which is responding to the UK COVID-19 Inquiry on behalf of all members. RCOphth Policy Advisor David Murray summarises the key points from our response, which recommends four actions to ensure UK ophthalmology services are resilient and able to deliver sufficient patient care and training opportunities during and after the acute stage of a future pandemic.
Updated standards for doctors now available
The General Medical Council (GMC) has this week published an update on Good medical practice, which details the principles, values and standards expected of doctors working in the UK.
Eye scans detect signs of Parkinson’s disease up to seven years before diagnosis
A team led by Siegfried Wagner and Pearse Keane of Moorfields Eye Hospital and UCL Institute of Ophthalmology (and spanning UCL institutions) has identified markers that indicate the presence of Parkinson’s disease in patients on average seven years before clinical presentation. This is the first time anyone has shown these findings several years before diagnosis, and these results were made possible by the largest study to date on retinal imaging in Parkinson’s disease.
RCOphth backs independent prescribing responsibilities for orthoptists
The Royal College of Ophthalmologists has written to Health Minister Will Quince MP to express our support for the extension of independent prescribing responsibilities to orthoptists. The British and Irish Orthoptic Society has previously advocated for these responsibilities, including in a letter to the Secretary of State.
Government’s Elective Recovery Taskforce right to prioritise diagnostic capacity but independent sector is not a panacea
The Government’s Elective Recovery Taskforce has announced several actions aimed at increasing capacity in England in its implementation plan, especially through expanded independent sector involvement in the delivery of NHS services. While the measures, analysed in this article, represent an important acknowledgement of the need to urgently expand capacity and aspects of the plan can help ophthalmology if implemented effectively, to make a real difference policymakers must prioritise properly investing in NHS services and its workforce and infrastructure.
View the findings of our latest National Ophthalmology Database Audit for cataract surgery
Cataract surgery remains the most frequently performed surgical procedure in the UK with almost half a million operations a year, results from our latest National Ophthalmology Database (NOD) Audit show.
Launch of physician associate pilot
We are launching a one-year pilot of physician associates (PAs) within ophthalmology, starting in November 2023. Physician associates are growing in number in the NHS, and the RCOphth and NHS England are keen to explore how the PA role may fit into the ophthalmological workforce.
Glaucoma UK/RCOphth Research Award winner announced
Congratulations to Dr Giovanni Montesano, winner of the 2023 Glaucoma UK/RCOphth Research Award. He will receive £96,082 to fund his project “A path to personalised glaucoma care – mapping clinical trial and real-world outcomes to individuals”.